Arnold & Son True Beat Tourbillon Escapement Reviewed by Tim Mosso: The Best Tourbillon that You are Unlikely to have Heard Of

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The Arnold & Son True Beat Tourbillon Escapement (TBTE) embodies two of the Swiss watch industry’s greatest talents: craftsmanship and AstroTurf. Beautifully built but tenuously tied to an historical dead guy, the True Beat is a triumph on substance. With essentially no history but outstanding modern credentials, this tourbillon proves that talent alone can yield a great watch.

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Why I Bought It: The Zenith Chronomaster Tribute to Charles Vermot – Reprise

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Quentin R. Bufogle could go on and on about the Zenith Chronomaster Tribute to Charles Vermot’s stunningly beautiful, metallic blue dial, silicon escapement (visible via the open heart feature), COSC chronometer certification and that it’s one of the last truly great Chronomasters, but that would be missing the point, i.e. how Charles Vermot saved Zenith.

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A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split Chronograph: The World’s Only Watch that can Time Two Separate Events for 12 Hours – Reprise

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In the annals of A. Lange & Söhne history, the Double Split was one of the most widely celebrated releases. It introduced the idea of a split-second and split-minute chronograph allowing the wearer to time at least two events lasting up to an hour. The Triple Split is the inevitable progression of it, adding a split-hour function to allow timing two multi-hour events up to 12 hours.

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15 Watches from 2023 I’d Love to Own – IF Money No Object – and One I’m Most Likely to Buy

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In no particular order, here are 15 watches from 2023 that Ian Skellern would love to own (if somebody else was paying) and one that he hopes to buy for himself.

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Chopard L.U.C 1860: Its Only Downside is that it’s So Good

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While the original L.U.C 1860, with caliber 1.96, was spot on for the era, the current L.U.C 1860 in Lucent steel is just that again. It shows once more that trends come and go, but circle.

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Vanessa Redgrave’s Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer Dial: Could it be The Female ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona? – Reprise

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Are there special vintage watch dial variations named after notable women in a vein similar to that of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona? Nick Gould was wondering just that and researched. Finding a photo of Vanessa Redgrave wearing a Rolex Submariner Reference 5513 with “Explorer” dial in 1966, he ruefully opines that this rare model would sound so much cooler as the Rolex “Vanessa Redgrave” Submariner rather than what collectors call it now: Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer dial.

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Montblanc Villeret 1858 Vintage Chronograph Reviewed by Tim Mosso

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Topside, Montblanc’s 43.5mm Vintage Chronograph sets the stage for its marvelous mechanism within. A mother-of-pearl crown insert confirms that this watch is an image-builder for the larger house of Meisterstück.

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Omega Specialties CK 859: A Sector as Sweet as Nectar – Reprise

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When the Omega Specialties CK 859 launched in the spring of 2022, it flew a bit under the radar as other releases were still garnering a lot of the press (fairly typical for spring in Switzerland). But it quickly picked up steam as people realized what a little gem this watch was, and it became a star in the eyes of fans of sector-dialed watches.

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Ken Gargett’s Best of 2023: Best Wines, Best Cigar, Best Meal, Best Event, Most Curious Meal, and Much More

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Happy New Year to all and many thanks for your support and comments throughout 2023. Before we head off into 2024, and the chaos that it promises, a few ‘Best Of’ selections from the past 12 months.

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Watch Goes Up Must Come Down: An Industry Insider’s Top Secret Report . . . Or Is It? Warning: You May Laugh Out Loud – Reprise

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London, one day in the not-too-distant future, the final board meeting of the Lux Timepieces III Fund had been a stormy one. Principal investor Igor Abramovich had flounced out after throwing his Roger W Smith Series 1 on the boardroom table, where it shattered into dozens of meticulously handmade pieces . . . hang on to your hats because this is a wild and laugh-out-loud ride!

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